Schuler went back to his office (but did not go inside). From his vantage point, looking through the windows of his office, he could see the police looking over his things (and paying particular attention to his photo with Gus). He decided not to enter his office, and instead turned, grabbed the nearby AED, and headed into the bathroom. He already had an excellent idea what they were there about, because as his assistant told him in the tater tot room "they're back again. This time three of them."

No, that's not what brought them back to Madrigal Electromotive. ME was clearly an investor of LPH, and more likely, Gus had a Cayman bank accounts (for Herr Schuler) which drew the DEA back to ME to investigate. Or maybe ME was a depositor to the Gus's account. The "air filter" lead from Season 3 was a dead lead, and had really very little to do with Season 5 (other than confirming that Hank was totally correct in his suspicion). Clearly, the DEA had evidence that Herr Schuler was connected to the meth production, as the CEO said he "acted alone" (but as the audience knows, he at least he worked with Lydia at ME, maybe others).

It was Season 4 (after Jesse shot Gale) - Hank discovered that the manufacturer of the air cleaner was Madrigal Electromotive. He was told by a sales rep that Gale signed for the shipment. He was also told that there was no payment info on record for the filter. That was when Hank discovered that Madrigal owned Pollos Hermanos.

I don't believe this part that Hank got that far. But I can't go back and watch S4, so I'm not going to really challenge it other than to say that Hank got as far as the temporary employee on the phone feeding him some info about the air filtration equipment, but go quickly shuffled off the phone.

I don't believe this part that Hank got that far. But I can't go back and watch S4, so I'm not going to really challenge it other than to say that Hank got as far as the temporary employee on the phone feeding him some info about the air filtration equipment, but go quickly shuffled off the phone.

He did - all of this was part of the evidence that he presented to Gomez and his boss to support his theory that Gus was the guy.

I don't believe this part that Hank got that far. But I can't go back and watch S4, so I'm not going to really challenge it other than to say that Hank got as far as the temporary employee on the phone feeding him some info about the air filtration equipment, but go quickly shuffled off the phone.

There was a LPH napkin with a number on it that was in Gale's apartment. Hank found out the number was a part number for an industrial air filter. He says the air filter is made by Madrigal. He called their Houston office and talked to a temp who said an air filter like that was shipped to ABQ 6 months ago and was signed for by Gale. On a later phone call, the temp says there's no record of the filter being paid for. He continued to try to communicate with the temp, but she disappeared and all he could talk to was a corporate lawyer and he hit a brick wall. So he investigates Madrigal. They're based in Hanover, Germany and operate many different businesses, including a "tiny little foothold in American fast food, specifically a local chain: Los Pollos Hermanos."

That's from just rewatching the scene in the season 4 episode Problem Dog.

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I am tired of the stupidity of Jesse and Walt together. It is their interaction with others that is interesting.

Are we watching the same show, the entire manipulation of Jesse by Walt is amazing, the scene with the Roomba in particular as previously mentioned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlucci

This episode marked the turning point for me. Where Walt was once a mostly sympathetic character, either desperate or trapped, now he is just a despicable drug dealer. I pretty sure this is by design, though.

I was actively rooting for Gus by the end of season 4. This show truly is on the level of the Wire for me, and if they stick the landing on season 5 it'll probably surpass it.

(*) Two thoughts on this sequence. First, it took me a couple of viewings to feel reasonably confident that what Walt does is to hide the real Chekhov's Ricin behind an electrical socket (in case he ever needs it again without having the time or resources to make a new batch of ricin), while the one he and Jesse find inside the Roomba is a fake one to give Jesse peace of mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hank

Really, that took you a couple of viewings to figure out? It was pretty obvious to me, and I'm assuming most other people.

Yeah, I didn't understand this part either. Why would Walt hide a fake tube of ricin behind the electrical socket? And even if he really wanted to do that, he wouldn't wrap it in a cigarette, then immediately unwrap it. I didn't even consider that option as a possibility.

I agree that Aaron's acting was amazing during the scene when he finds the fake ricin. As bad as Walt has been, I felt the lowest that I have ever felt about him while he was "comforting" Jessie.

Yeah, I didn't understand this part either. Why would Walt hide a fake tube of ricin behind the electrical socket? And even if he really wanted to do that, he wouldn't wrap it in a cigarette, then immediately unwrap it. I didn't even consider that option as a possibility.

Actually it took me a minute to put the two together too. I was going, why hide salt? then it clicked.

I'm finally totally caught up with Breaking Bad. Seasons 1-4 and the first two episodes of season 5. I can now finally participate in a real episode thread!!

I too wonder if there will be more with this German company "Madrigal". Mr. Schuler was knew something. Maybe was in on it. I doubt he was alone. I hope this isn't the end of that story line.

When the woman showed up in the coffee shop and Mike started to talk to her, I wondered if I was supposed to have remembered her. Glad to know that was her introduction. But I totally missed her sitting with the Madrigal execs when they were meeting with the DEA. Maybe if she was wearing giant sunglasses.

One thing I don't get is why Walter poisoned the little kid. Was that a ploy to draw out Gus to Jesse?

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...I too wonder if there will be more with this German company "Madrigal". Mr. Schuler was knew something. Maybe was in on it. I doubt he was alone. I hope this isn't the end of that story line.

Spoiler:

On that ComicCon panel they say that Walt's operation goes worldwide, so we can gues that Madrigal stays in the dope business.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmeeker

...When the woman showed up in the coffee shop and Mike started to talk to her, I wondered if I was supposed to have remembered her. Glad to know that was her introduction. But I totally missed her sitting with the Madrigal execs when they were meeting with the DEA. Maybe if she was wearing giant sunglasses.

One thing I don't get is why Walter poisoned the little kid. Was that a ploy to draw out Gus to Jesse?

Smeeks.

The lady was in Madrigal's meeting with the DEA. Above, she's the US. representative.

Walt needed Jesse on his side and against Gus to save his own bacon. Gus would have killed Walt very soon.

The lady was in Madrigal's meeting with the DEA. Above, she's the US. representative.

I went back and re-watched this episode -- of course she's at the table, and there's one quick scene where she leans forward, but she's otherwise non-memorable. If they had her say two words at the meeting, I would have remember her in the subsequent scenes.

Whether or not a hand job would have been "rapey" reminds me of the first season of 24.

Spoiler:

IIRC, one of the captors is going to rape the daughter and the mom offers herself up instead, promises not to fight. That scene gave me chills at the time and still does. It might not meet the dictionary definition of rape but it ABSOLUTELY is.

Like many others here I caught up on BB over the last few months and have recently read the back threads. One thing I haven't seen addressed is when Walt rapes Skylar in the first season. Not in the pilot when he takes her from behind, by surprise, but later on. She has a facial mask on and he shoves her face into the fridge. She's telling him to stop and he doesn't listen, they're interrupted by Walt Jr. coming home. I may not have all the details 100%, but again, it was a chilling scene and the one that permanently turned me against Walt.

As for the new female character, I noticed her right away in the board meeting scene. I don't know what it was, if the camera lingered on her or if she was the only woman, but she jumped out at me.

Like many others here I caught up on BB over the last few months and have recently read the back threads. One thing I haven't seen addressed is when Walt rapes Skylar in the first season. Not in the pilot when he takes her from behind, by surprise, but later on. She has a facial mask on and he shoves her face into the fridge. She's telling him to stop and he doesn't listen, they're interrupted by Walt Jr. coming home. I may not have all the details 100%, but again, it was a chilling scene and the one that permanently turned me against Walt.

You directed the season 2 premiere, and there's a scene in there where Walt has just come home, he's had this terrifying experience at the junkyard with Tuco, he's in the kitchen with Skyler and they have this horrible, violent, ugly sex in the kitchen. And you have to both play and direct this. What are your memories of that?

I did the character work before. So I knew what I wanted to do by the time we started shooting. So that when I'm on stage talking with Anna (Gunn) and guiding her through this, and with Michael Slovis, my DP, I wanted to make sure I was clear where I wanted to go with this. And it is a violent act. I wanted to make sure Anna was physically safe, for one, emotionally safe, number two, and then carry on with it. And from a character standpoint, Walt had this bottled-up sense of anxiety, and he just witnessed a brutal beating that was so violent to him — remember, he's new to it — that he's reeling from it, and doesn't know where to place it, and just needs comfort right now. So I wanted to specifically make Walt go to his wife for comfort, and what happens is that in seeking comfort — just come up from behind her and smell her and feel safe — what happens often with men is it gets misplaced, it gets confused. He gets charged up, kind of excited and aggressive and get this angst out, this sense of tension. And that's why he goes to that point. That's how Bryan had to justify it and then tell Walt how to play it.

You're not a self-conscious actor at all — your resume proves that. But if you're in a scene like that where you're also the director, does that change the performance at all? Does that layer of self-consciousness slip in, or are you able to separate the two?

No, I'm able to separate it and able to identify what has to happen when, and where am I. So if Bryan clearly understands where Walt is at any given point — that's where it was for me. I told Walt where he was going to be, and it felt right to him to play it that way. And the way I wanted to shoot it, I wanted it to be fragmented — as messy as you can — so I shot it in a way that it was a hand, slipping, pushing, moving, a side, and I didn't want them in the same shot. So it was either him or her, and then a hand and a foot and a stomp and a face and a push.

It's an excellent interview (and there's a companion interview with Aaron Paul as well). I highly recommend that fans of this show read both interviews.

Since I'm a newcomer as well, that scene is fresh in my mind. Let me first remind you that I was on the forefront of those who said the HJ or not scene was absolutely a rape (uh oh, here it comes!).

I did not see the fridge scene as a rape. He started out nice and she was receptive. It was a callback (I keep using that word!) to the first scene in the pilot where he was forceful and she responded positively. He was letting out some aggression and thought being rough was part of the excitement for both of them. I saw it more as "banging the head against the headboard" situation just by virtue of the position and the force.

He lost control. I think he was stopping before the kid came home. But she was receptive and into it until it became violent/too aggressive. I chalked that one up more to just a husband & wife not in tune than with the rapeyness of the last scene.

OK, watched the mask/fridge scene again. It was even more innocent than I remembered it!

First, she is very pregnant (not really relevant but there it is). She is standing by the fridge (on her right), facing the table and making a samish'

He walks in slowly, near tears. He is behind her as he puts his head on the back of her shoulder and half-sobs. She leans her head back to comfort him. He starts to caress her and she smiles the laughs as he bends her over and she playfully says things like "Now?" and "let me at least clean my face" and "junior is going to be here any minute".

Not a denial, just the normal wife/husband stuff. He proceeds to take her panties off and she is letting him, even says "ok...just..." (I would imagine she was about to say "just hurry up about it"). At this point, it's a 100% normal "gosh, here's my frisky husband, ok, let him have his fun, not really into it but it's kind of kinky too" kind of way.

He then probably enters her and things are ok for half a second but he thrusts hard and almost knocks her off balance. She says "enough. Stop it" but he is mid-thrust as she says it. She then bangs her head against the fridge. She yells "stop it" louder the second time and stands up. He immediately stops and shamefully (and slowly) walks away to the outside by the pool. She goes out and talks to him and only then does Junior come home and ask for pancakes.